On Monday, October 6, Mary Fallat, professor in The Hiram C. Polk, Jr., Department of Surgerywill step up to the podium to deliver this year’s Scudder Oration on Trauma at the American College of Surgeons (ACS) meeting – an honor she describes as the greatest honor of her career.  

She will become only the second pediatric surgeon ever to give this address. The first was Alex Haller, who began his career at the School of Medicine in 1959 as a cardiac surgeon before returning to John Hopkins to lead pediatric surgery and fellowship training. “To follow in those footsteps is both humbling and inspiring,” Fallat said. 

Her focus is one that touches every surgeon, regardless of specialty: how we prepare, or fail to prepare, to care for injured children. Throughout her career, Fallat has worked to advance a vision of an integrated system of care for children. Today, she notes, significant gaps remain. Burn centers and trauma centers often operate in separate silos, and pediatric care and adult care do not always connect. In many communities, emergency departments see so few children that clinicians lack the training, supplies or confidence to treat them duringa crisis.  

“Children are 22% of the population,” she says. “They deserve to be included and cared for with the proper plans and resources in place to do so.” 

One promising effort she will highlight is the National Pediatric Readiness Program, which equips hospitals and EMS services with the tools, training and protocols needed to provide quality pediatric care. “It doesn’t take groundbreaking science,” she argues, “But it does take an intentional investment of time, training and the willingness to step up.”  

The need has never been greater. From global conflict and natural disasters to the everyday risks of childhood, emergencies continue to expose the vulnerabilities in our system. “Our prognosis for disaster preparedness is guarded at best,” she cautions.  

Still, Fallat remains optimistic. She envisions a future where adult and pediatric systems work together, where communication flows in both directions and where every hospital commits to a baseline of pediatric readiness. “Collaborationcan raise the standard of care for every child, no matter where they live,” she said.  

Her perspective is shaped by a personal memory. As a child during the Cuban Missile Crisis, she remembers air raid drills at school and emergency kits at home. Preparation was seen as essential then. Now, she asks, how are we preparing our children for the unexpected? 

Her message is intended for every surgeon in attendance: whether or not they operate on children, they have a stake in this issue. Every surgeon was once a child themselves, and most have children, grandchildren or loved ones whose lives could one day depend on the systems in place.  

“You can’t blame them until you train them,” she will remind her colleagues, echoing the words of James Styner, who founded Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) decades ago.  

As she prepares to deliver this historic address, we congratulate Mary Fallat on this remarkable honor. Her impact is certain to be felt well beyond the podium and carry forward her lifelong commitment to care for the nation’s children.